Or, go the easy route, and pour some wine into a chocolate bunny…

Meditation has seen a rise in popularity recently. Going from what was once viewed as a bit ‘hippy dippy’ to something that everyday people are turning to, to help improve their mind, body and soul.

Many celebrities use it in their everyday lives from media mogul Rupert Murdoch, comedian Russell Brand and film director Martin Scorsese, to model Gisele Bundchen, actress Cameron Diaz and talk-show host Ellen De Generes.

So if it’s good enough for them then it must be good enough for us too, right?

As outsiders looking in we can kind of understand how we’d benefit from meditating, but surely there’s a certain level of being out of your comfort zone that we first need to overcome? Being in a room full of strangers and opening yourselves up to an alternative approach to health and wellness is quite brave but we’re sure the positives far outweigh the negatives. We’ve found a really insightful article on The Art of Living website that explains the benefits of meditation that we wanted we’d share with you, to show you why you should give it a go.

There are physical and mental benefits to meditation along with other benefits too. Meditating can help you overcome emotional stress or even transform you as a person and your entire outlook on life. It’s a powerful force to be reckoned with and we can’t wait to find a meditation class in our local area. Why not give it a try and let us know how you get on.

In case you’ve forgotten (naughty), Mother’s day is this weekend! Spoil your mum rotten with a gift that she’ll love on the 6th of March with our lovingly selected gift ideas.

Wine bottle glass

Does your mum enjoy a glass of wine (or three!?) Then we’ve found the perfect prezzie – this novelty wine glass is shaped like an entire bottle of the good stuff, with a glass-shaped top to make it easier than ever to enjoy. The wine bottle glass can hold an entire 750ml bottle of wine meaning your mum won’t be nagging at you for a refill all evening!

Name a star

If your mum is truly out of this world why not honour her with her very own star? This gift is an absolute winner and we guarantee your mum will be touched by your efforts to show how much she means to you.

Bubble Bath Machine

Turn Mum’s usual mundane bath time routine into a luxury bubble spa with this amazing bath bubble machine! It creates millions of silky smooth bubbles perfect for anyone to her to sink herself into after a hard day of running around after you!

So, however you’re thinking of celebrating this weekend from a house party, themed party at the student union bar or drowning your sorrows in front of a soppy film and a box of tissues, remember to have a sense of humour and take the day with a pinch of salt.

It’s just an excuse for us all to spend money on commercialised items we don’t really need after all!

No doubt someone around you will be interested in, and talking about, the Super Bowl, and tonight marks the taking place of Super Bowl 50 – but for those of us less educated in all things NFL, just what is it and more so how can we get involved this side of the pond?!

To an untrained eye, NFL (or American Football) can be a confusing sport. Filled with technical jargon, massive men in even bigger pads and over the top “Americana”, it can be a bit of a slog for first-time viewers.

Super Bowl 50, between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, is set to take place at Levi’s Stadium, California, the home of the San Francisco 49ers. It’s a somewhat antisocial 11.30pm start for anyone watching in the famous old timezone of GMT – best hope you’ve not got any early morning lectures on Monday!

But the Super Bowl is about so much more than just the game itself – Super Bowl adverts rose to massive mainstream popularity and became talking points in the 1970s. They are massively expensive to put on and are often clever, with no cost spared and some celebrity appearances. And alongside these come the half time shows – this year featuring the likes of Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars.

Now, it’s understood that the Levi’s Stadium will be selling a one-of-a-kind item during Super Bowl 50 – sausage topped with real flakes of gold, tapping in on the NFL’s gold theme for the SB50. Now that’s how you turn an ordinary concession stand item into a classy dish for the biggest sporting event in the US!

A New Year has only just started and although we’re not yet through January now’s the time to start thinking about where you’re going to live for the 2016/17 academic year.

If you’re currently a tenant of Primus Place then you’ll appreciate the luxurious living conditions, being located close to the university, local amenities and the hustle and bustle of city life. These luxuries are in high demand so if you want to stay with us for another year then now’s the time to get booking!

Booking now will take the hassle out of doing it later in the year when your options start to become limited. And who needs that stress during exam time and end of year parties? If you book early enough we can even look at keeping you in the studio that you’re currently living in, making the packing process in the summer a much smaller task.

A new academic year means a new wave of tenants and first year students who will have booked their accommodation way in advance to secure the perfect place to act as a home from home in their first year away from home.

So, to ensure you don’t miss out on your dream living conditions and to continue living life in luxury then get in touch with the accommodation office today to secure your place for the future.

Simply call 0116 340 0025 or email enquiries@primusplace.co.uk and make sure your next academic year gets off to the best possible start.

It’s freezing outside, your social media feeds are currently filled with “New year, new me” posts and your favourite outfits might be slightly tighter than usual….sound familiar!? Say hello to the January Blues! This first month of the year can be a difficult one for many of us so with that in mind, we thought it would be good to offer some suggestions to banish those blues and keep you happy and smiling.

Set realistic goals

Rather than setting New Year’s resolutions, try setting New Year goals instead. They can be simple ones such as trying to exercise more, finally learning to drive or trying something new and taking on a new hobby. Setting achievable goals for yourself is a great way to feel motivated and driven, something good to carry on in your university life too!

Pamper yourself

After the festive season where dinners and parties with your friends and family were a regular occurrence, it’s important you dedicate some ‘me time’ to yourself in January. Whatever it is that makes you happy and calm – do that. A nice pamper session is always a good idea to really unwind, and it’s a perfect excuse to use those gift sets you received at Christmas!

Plan a holiday / weekend getaway

It’s great to have something to look forward to – whether it’s a weekend away or a summer holiday with your friends, it’ll keep you going on days when you’re feeling down.

Online shopping

Retail therapy is always the best form of therapy! It’s definitely one of our favourite things to do. Now don’t go blowing all your student loan at once, but ordering yourself a new pair of shoes or a fab dress is guaranteed to lift your mood (especially if they’re reduced!).

Declutter!

We’ve all heard the saying “a clear space, a clear mind”, and as much as we dread starting, there’s no denying the satisfaction you get when the task is done. Dedicate some time to clean out your room and get rid of anything you’ve been hoarding (all those goodies from the Freshers’ Fairs!). Give your wardrobe a spring clean too – pop some bits on eBay or do a good deed and donate to the local charity shop.

Socialise

Inviting your friends over can be a great way to cheer yourself up without it costing too much. Watch a movie, bake some fab treats, dust off the board games and have a good natter. You’re guaranteed to have a laugh.

Go to the cinema

This is the perfect date night idea, and with so many cinemas now offering amazing deals for students it would be rude not to make the most of them! Grab yourself some popcorn and relax -there’s so many new films out at the moment, you’re sure to find something you fancy seeing.

Get some fresh air

Sometimes the best thing to do to clear your mind is to wrap up and go for a long walk. It does wonders for sorting out your thoughts and it will make you feel fresh as a daisy. Get out and explore the city that you’ve recently made your home and find all those quirky spots to impress your friends and family with when they come to visit.

Turn off your phone and curl up with a book

In a time where our phones are a constant attachment to our hands, it’s healthy to turn it off every now and then a get sucked into that really good book you’ve been meaning to start. And it doesn’t have to be that huge textbook that weighs the same as your brother and sister combined – devote an hour before bed to winding down reading something that you enjoy.

Buy yourself some flowers

There’s something about flowers that can instantly lift your mood and make you smile, and it’s a cheap way of adding some colour to your room!

Now that it’s December, we can finally indulge in the Christmas spirit and start thinking about which gifts to buy for the loved ones in our lives. As students, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without organising a Secret Santa for those you live with, so we’ve put together a list of gifts ideas to help you get started!

Love taking pictures on a night out but hate poor lighting? Well now you can take the perfect picture each and every time with this selfie flash light. Simply plug it into the headphone jack and pap away!

Messy desk = messy headspace, so if you need help de-cluttering then call on R2D2 to do the job for you, leaving you with a clean and clear desk, and a clean and clear head! (If only he cured hangovers too!)

Today is one of the most important holidays in the United States – Thanksgiving. For those of us this side of the pond, however, it can be a strange and confusing celebration – what is Thanksgiving and more so, how can we get involved!?

Originally, Thanksgiving stems from around 1621 when separatists from the Church of England sailed to the States in order to flee religious persecution and found themselves greeted by a bleak mid-winter in Massachusetts. After losing a number of their companions to diseases like scurvy, the pilgrims began to build up relations with the Native Americans who in turn taught the pilgrims how to farm and grow crops. Put simply – Thanksgiving is the celebration of the Pilgrims’ first harvest after the Native Americans befriended and effectively saved them.

“Turkey Day”, as it’s often more favourably known, falls each year on the fourth Thursday of November. In America it’s seen as a public holiday and therefore the majority of people get the day off to indulge in the three F’s – family, football and (most importantly!) food.

Just like in the movies and your favourite box-sets, the main dish is Turkey accompanied by all the trimmings, and topped off with a generous slice of Pumpkin Pie. As a general rule, thanksgiving dinner is typically eaten with your entire extended family although amongst millennials (that’s us lot!), “friendsgiving” is being celebrated more and more – the same concept but with a group of your friends or flatmates.

Why let America have all the fun? Thanksgiving is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with 1 in 6 of us now celebrating it and sales of turkeys in November up 95% in the past five years.

So rally up your flatmates (and next door’s – why not!) and cook up a feast (remember to send your Mum a photo to impress her with your culinary excellence). To help you out, here’s my favourite Pumpkin Pie recipe (you can pick up tinned pumpkin from Waitrose, the big Tescos or those little American sweet shops everywhere seems to have popping up!). http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/10/26/the-great-pumpkin-pie-recipe/

It’s the home of the Leicester Tigers, Walkers crisps and David Attenborough and we think it should be your home too. Why? For the luxurious living that Primus Place offers!

Firstly, you get to choose between two awesome universities – University of Leicester and De Montfort Leicester. Whichever you choose to attend remember that the other university is your enemy and should be approached with caution….

Secondly, there is SOOOOO much to see and do. From food festivals in Melton Mowbray (the home of the pork pie) to historic days out at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre or a themed heritage trail. Leicester is steeped in history and it’s even where they discovered the body of King Richard III. Not every university town can say that!

And thirdly, Leicester is a cosmopolitan and culturally diverse city so it’s young and vibrant with an awesome social scene. During term time, 12% of the population is students so you’ll always be around like-minded people.